Regular visitors to the sightings page may remember the excellent November WeBS survey back on the 24th. Totals from the harbour wide count have been collated totalling an impressive 21527 birds from 58 species. This is the highest November count over the past five years! Two WeBS species total records were broken this time. These were 390 Pintail (the previous highest number was 341) and 2 Long-tailed Duck (previously only one recorded). Other less common species recorded in November included 1 Red-throated Diver, 9 Great Northern Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Common Scoter, 2 Green Sandpiper, 25 Black-necked Grebe.

Returning to today’s sightings, Baiter Park held 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Turnstones, c150 Brent Goose and 1 Greenshank. Some great totals were recorded on Brownsea Lagoon with 172 Grey Plover, 39 Knot and 1805 Black-tailed Godwit of note. Other Lagoon totals worth a mention include 194 Avocet, 90 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Sanderling and singles of Ringed Plover, Spotted Redshank and Snipe. Swineham late afternoon produced 2 Woodcock along Bestwall road, Water Rail squealing on the flood meadows, a Tawny Owl in the pines and as the rain showers fizzled out, 5 Marsh Harrier were quartering around the west Harbour.